How to use online dating sites safely

Now that Valentine’s Day has been and gone, it’s important not to forget your online security basics when looking for love.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)* has recently reported that the dating app MeetMindful.com has been hacked and personal information including email addresses, Facebook user ID’s and geo-location information leaked.
Many more people are working from home as a result of the current lockdown restrictions and are therefore more likely to be using work devices in their own time, potentially putting your company at risk.
By taking a few simple precautions however, you can enjoy the online dating process while keeping yourself and your company safe.

Like other phishing attacks, the NCSC* advises you to:

• report any suspicious emails you receive by forwarding to report@phishing.gov.uk (the NCSC’s Suspicious Email Reporting Service)
• report suspicious text messages to short code 7726, and
• follow the guidance on how to protect yourself if you are victim of a phishing scam or sextortion scam.

See more in the NCSC’s latest threat report here.
Share these points with your colleagues to avoid an embarrassing and costly incident from occurring, which could involve work devices or data